Hong Kong as a Member of the Outer Circle With Respect to the Global English-Using Communities Free Essay Example, 1500 words

From as early as during the period of the famous British Sovereignty in Hong Kong, the emergence of English as one of the primary language of communication has been hailed to be the fundamental factor which has enabled the country to develop economically. During this time of colonial rule from the year 1842 to 1941, Hong Kong was the nerve centre of all the commercial activities of China. At the time, English played a very vital role in terms of facilitating commercial activities within the region. At the same time, English found its place within the legal as well as the administrative circles. This development provided the much-needed impetus among the Chinese who opted to learn the language in order to secure employment opportunities in a range of fields as put forward by Evans and Green, (2001). In particular, the Chinese used the language as a leverage to gain employment opportunities as clerks within the government departments, middle-men for the foreign-owned enterprises which were based in Hong Kong as interpreters. On the other hand, as one way of facilitating for the smooth running of operations both within the business fraternity and government circles within its colony at the time, the British colonial authorities at the time made deliberate measures to make sure that English was learnt within Hong Kong. We will write a custom essay sample on Hong Kong as a Member of the Outer Circle With Respect to the Global English-Using Communities or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page In particular, it has grown to become one of the key catalysts for its economic development in the region. Hence, this paper shall seek to explore the role played by English within Hong Kong especially in the professional and business domains. By so doing, the paper shall delve into its development in the country. Factors which have enabled for its spread shall also be analyzed in this regard.